Seraphim Song
by coolgamer
Summary: Sabo sets out from Dawn Island on his seventeenth birthday to become a pirate and to uphold his brother's promise. An ASL story.
1. Chapter 1

**Well this is a part of my ASL series, so it's one of my first One Piece fanfictions. **

**Summary: Sabo sets out from Dawn Island on his seventeenth birthday to become a pirate and to uphold his brother's promise.**

**~Ace's Departure~**

The blonde stared at the raven haired boy in front of him as the other put the rest of his supplies in the boat. The wind blew calmly through the area, sweeping past the two boys, the Raven's long hair being blown about by it as he straightened up.

The blonde looked up at the trees hanging above him, watching the leaves rustle in the wind. The sound of footsteps drawing closer brought his gaze back to his brother. His black eyes met the blonde's own and he smile widely at his younger brother.

"What are you so worried about?" The raven asked.

The blonde sighed, "I'm worried about you, you idiot. Knowing you as soon as you step off this island you'll be in big trouble."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The raven asked frowning.

The blonde smirked, "You know what I mean Ace."

The two were quiet, the raven now frowning at the blonde who stopped smirking. They stood there in silence, just listening to the sounds around them and watching each other. The blonde uncomfortably pulled at the collar of his blue dress-shirt as the raven shuffled for a moment, both in deep thought.

"You're really leaving?" Sabo asked.

"Yeah..." Ace said after a moment, he grinned at Sabo, "Looks like I beat you to it, you said you were going to set out first."

Sabo glared, "I did set out first, but my ship kind of exploded."

Ace frowned as Sabo mentioned the incident from seven years ago, and Sabo felt guilty for bringing it up. It was a touchy subject amongst the brothers, especially Ace and Luffy because they had thought Sabo died. Sabo grinned at Ace after a moment, pushing the thoughts out of his mind.

"If you keep spacing out, I'm just going to steal your ship," Sabo teased.

Ace playfully glared, "Nope! I'm the eldest so I get to leave first!"

"You're only older by a few months, what would it hurt if I came with you now?" Sabo questioned.

Ace glanced back at the forest behind the blonde, "Luffy'd be alone."

Sabo raised an eyebrow, "And he won't be alone when I leave in three months?"

Ace scratched the back of his head, "Okay maybe I just don't want my kid brother tagging along."

"What was that," Sabo growled as he moved to hit the older boy.

Ace brought his hands up to block the hits that came from the angry blonde. Soon the two were wrestling like they did as kids, neither giving an inch. The blonde began to smile as he continued to fight with his brother, enjoying their daily ritual. As they stopped to catch their breathes the blonde smiled sadly, realizing he wouldn't be able to fight Ace anymore.

"You need to help him get stronger," Ace spoke up after a few moments.

Sabo jerked at the words, "Luffy?"

"Luffy's strong but he can still improve, you can help him do that..." Ace stated looking at the forest again.

Sabo glanced at Ace, "I suppose..."

Ace went to speak again but a shout from the forest interrupted him. He broke out into a huge grin as he and Sabo both watched the trail intently, waiting for their younger brother to come barreling out. It didn't take long till the youngest shot out of the forest, jumping onto Ace excitedly.

Ace hugged their baby brother tightly, laughing at Luffy's enthusiasm, Sabo only watched grinning widely at the pair. The crunching of footsteps approaching made Sabo turn back to the forest to see Makino, the mayor, and the bandits making their way to the brothers. Sabo nodded to Makino and she smiled, standing next to him, watching the two ravens.

Ace finally pushed Luffy off of him and turned to the others, Sabo smirked at seeing the older boy blush a bit in the presence of Makino. Ace glanced back at the forest, a frown on his face, and Sabo flicked is eyes back as well. He knew Ace was hoping that their foster mother would come see him off, but if the bandits had arrived and she wasn't with them, then Dadan probably wasn't coming.

Ace broke out into another grin as he approached his boat, standing tall. The others followed him to the coast, various looks on their faces. Sabo and Luffy stood at the front of the smiling and cheering group of bandits, some trying to hide their tears at the boys departure. Ace paused and turned back to the group, looking at the bandits more than anyone else.

"Can you pass a message on to Dadan for me?" He asked, his hat hiding his eyes.

A bandit moved forward, "What do you want to tell the boss?"

"Tell her..."Ace paused, scratching the back of his neck, he finally met the bandit's eyes with a huge grin, "Tell her thanks for everything!"

The bandits all promised to do so, some breaking down crying fully now, especially Dogra and Magra. Sabo smiled, standing next to his little brother, as Ace pushed off from the island, steering out into the ocean. As he got further out he turned back to the island waving his arm to them all.

"Good luck out there Ace!" Luffy shouted, the bandits joining in.

"You just wait! I'll make a name for myself in no time!" Ace yelled back.

Sabo moved forward, a took a deep breath, "Ace!"

Sabo could see Ace still on the ship for a moment, and he took a deep breath, just watching his brother begin to get further away. Sabo felt a huge weight on his shoulder but he closed his eyes and stilled his thoughts. Finally he looked straight out at Ace, a smile on his face as he watched his brother.

"Remember our promise!" Sabo shouted as loud as he could.

Ace thrust one hand high in the air, "To be free!"

Sabo threw his arm up in the air at Ace's words, and saw Luffy do the same from the corner of his eyes. The two stood there watching Ace sail away from the island, even as the bandits turned to leave. Sabo briefly recognized the comforting touch of Makino as she placed a hand on the remaining brothers' shoulders before leaving with Woop Slap.

The two stood there till they could no longer see Ace and all that was left to watch was the sea. Neither felt inclined to move from the spot though, just wanting to stare out at the ocean. Sabo took a deep breath, already filling the void that had formed with Ace's departure. It was weird not having Ace around after seven years. The longest Sabo had been away from his brothers was from when his father forced him away until he had been able to return to them months later.

"So...Ace is gone..." Luffy spoke up, and from his voice Sabo could hear the sadness at their brother leaving, though Luffy was still smiling when Sabo looked at him.

Sabo nodded, "Yeah...and in three months I'll be on my way."

"Then after that it'll just be three years till I'm out on the sea!" Luffy added with a laugh.

Sabo glanced at him, "By the time you set out Ace and I will be so well known that the marines will leave a small fry like you alone."

Luffy just smiled, "Maybe! That won't be for long though!"

The two brothers broke down laughing before heading back into the forest to finish their training for the day. They had a lot to cover before Sabo left in three months and he wanted to make sure Luffy was ready for when he left.

**~End Ch. 1~**

**I hope you all liked the chapter, sorry if it's a bit slow! We'll get more to Sabo next chapter, especially more of his back story after what we saw happen in the Manga to him. **

**As we get further along I will be doing SBS corners similar to Oda-sensei's in the Manga. So feel free to ask any questions you want. **

**Also check out my other One Piece fanfic: A Promise from Brotherhood, it's the reunion piece of the ASL series, so you can see Sabo's complete crew there if you want to check it out. **

**Till the next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you all liked the last chapter! **

**~The Past~**

_The cannonball slammed into the deck of the small fishing boat, splintering it to pieces in seconds. Fire flared to life from the attack as pieces of wood were thrown into the air. The only passenger on the boat screamed out as a fiery pain blossomed on his face as he felt the heat from the fire surround him. He stepped back but found no deck behind him anymore as he fell backwards into the sea. _

_The burns were calming down but the boy still felt the stinging pain from the wounds, even as the fire was put out. His left eye was firmly closed from the burn to his face and his vision was fading. He felt himself sinking deep into the water, pieces of the boat sinking around him, the surface farther above him now. So much pain in his body that he couldn't even get himself to move to try and survive. _

_'Ace...Luffy...' The boy thought as his vision began to get worse._

_As he felt his lungs burning from the lack of air and his consciousness was ready to leave he saw something in the water. His vision got the outline of something black and much bigger than the boy. The boy didn't have the strength to freak out about the incoming sea creature determined to make him its next meal._

_As he finally stopped fighting, he felt something wrap around him like arms holding him close. He finally fell unconscious as he felt the rushing of the water around him as he was dragged out. _

Sabo sprang up from his bed, drenched in sweat and heaving as he tried to calm his racing heart. He brought a hand up to his left eye, scarred from his experiences seven years ago. Sabo clenched his eyes shut as his hand covered his left eye, trying to get under control.

Sabo looked around the room of Dadan's cabin, after a moment, calming as he recognized that he was safe and alive. Sabo's gaze turned to Luffy as his shoulders slumped as he finally relaxed at least a bit. Luffy slept curled up near Sabo, they had gone to sleep curled up right next to each other, but the younger boy appeared to have moved. Sabo was grateful that he hadn't woken up the raven, Luffy didn't know that the blonde still had nightmares of his near-death experience.

If Ace had been here still he would have woken up the moment Sabo did, knowing that the blonde had nightmares. Sabo finally let his hand drop away from his left eye, the burning he thought he had felt upon awaking finally seeming to disappear. Sabo took a deep breath before laying back down, just staring up at the ceiling as he tried to settle down again.

Movement from his right had the blonde looking at his little brother who had rolled back over, now facing the older boy. Sabo smiled as he rolled over so he was facing Luffy, watching his brother's peaceful face. Sabo's eyes closed as he felt himself drift off into a deep sleep, feeling a calming warmth coming from the other boy, a warmth familiar to the one that saved him all those years ago.

_Sabo fought against the darkness that seemed to be keeping him in trapped in a deep sleep. His consciousness fought to untangle itself from its entrapment and as he felt himself have a bit more control he groaned._

_"He's waking up!" He heard someone shout from nearby._

_Another voice responded, "I'll get the boss!" _

_Sabo heard something slam shut as he felt the haze on his mind begin to clear. He fought against his heavy eyelids to open them. As he stared up at the ceiling he tried to figure out what felt off. As his vision cleared he noted that there was something just to the left of his eyesight, and it was slightly annoying, it took him a moment to recognize his nose in the corner of his vision as he tried to stare at the annoying object._

_Sabo weakly fought to raise a hand up to his face, heading towards the left side. As he brought his hand down towards his left eye, he realized he hadn't seen his hand move towards it. He felt a cloth as his hand touched over his left eye. Sabo felt his heart begin to race in fear and despair, trying to figure out what happened._

_He began to push himself weakly out of bed, ignoring the pain coming from all over his body as he forced himself into a sitting position. He heard someone moving quickly over to him, saw a large purple blur come into his vision before hands were on him, pushing him back down. He struggled with the person, but the other was to strong and he was forced to lie back down, even as he stopped struggling the person's hands never let go. _

_Sabo focused on the person holding him down, focusing on the face full of make-up and a lot of purple hair. Sabo froze as he stared at the person's face, trying to figure out if he should be creeped out or afraid for his life. The person reminded him of a demented clown, and he didn't like clowns in the first place. _

_"What are you?" Sabo managed to get out, hating the fact that he couldn't hide his fear._

_The person above him blinked down at him in slight confusion, "Aren't you a little rude? I'm not a what I am a who, the person who helped save your life."_

_"Why would you save my life?" Sabo asked, confused why this monster hadn't hurt him yet._

_The man was about to speak again when the door opened to the room. Sabo wasn't in a position where he could face the door and see who entered and that worried him. The person above him looked at the man and seemed to relax and look relieved. _

_"The boy is freaking out!" The man said with a worried tone._

_He heard footsteps approach as a deep voice spoke, "It's understandable."_

_It wasn't long till the new person was in Sabo's range of vision, he froze again as he saw the person. He remembered those markings on that face, and even that voice was familiar. It was the man he had seen the other night in the city, the man he had met when he couldn't find anyone to stop the burning of the Grey Terminal. _

_"You're that man..." Sabo began._

_The man looked at him, his eyes meeting Sabo's, "It's good that you are awake."_

_"What..." Sabo began, before the man continued speaking._

_"Your boat was shot at by the Celestial Dragons, I made it in time to save you from drowning," The man explained._

_"You saved me?" Sabo asked._

_"As did my doctors, and Ivankov here," The man spoke waving a hand at the purple-haired man. _

_The man smiled at Sabo, and he began relaxing somewhat, "You're safe now boy."_

_Sabo moved forward showing he wanted to sit up, and Ivankov helped him up this time, propping pillows behind the blonde as he sat up. Sabo looked at the man and the man stared back, his face expressionless, yet at the same time Sabo felt like he could trust this mysterious man. As he stared the man in the eyes he couldn't help but feel like he had seen those same eyes before. _

_He brought a hand up to his head as he clenched his eyes shut as a headache formed. Those eyes reminded him of something, images flashed in his mind before stopping on a raven haired kid, his straw hat being pushed back on his head so his eyes could meet Sabo's. _

_"Luffy..." Sabo whispered as his eyes opened again. _

_The man's eyes widened slightly, and Ivankov stilled, interested in the situation. The man watched the boy before closing his eyes with a small chuckle and sat next to the blonde's bedside. Ivankov stood nearby the man, waiting for his orders._

_"Ivankov, can you leave me alone with our guest?" The man asked._

_Ivankov nodded, already heading to the door, "Call if you need anything."_

_After Ivankov left the two sat there in silence, Sabo staring at the man, his mind swimming with loads of questions for the man. The man stared out of the window for a few, obviously comfortable in the silence, and not good with children, if his posture was anything to go by. _

_"Your body has a few minor burns and scrapes from the attack, a few major cuts, but they are well taken care of. Your biggest injury," The man began reaching a hand out to Sabo's face as he looked at the boy, "Was the burn you received to your eye, it will scar."_

_Sabo paused as he took in what the man said, "I will be able to see still right?"_

_The man paused, "I don't know the exact details, you will have to speak with the doctor about that."_

_Sabo nodded, accepting the man's words and the two sat there again in silence. Sabo looked the man over trying to figure out why he reminded Sabo of Luffy. They obviously weren't a lot alike in terms of personality, Luffy wouldn't be able to stay still, or quiet, for these few minutes. He did notice that the man and Luffy did share some physical traits, they both had the same shade of black hair, and their eyes were a perfect match. _

_"Who are you?" Sabo asked after a few more minutes of silence._

_The man looked at him, "My name is Dragon."_

_"Dragon?" _

_"And what is yours, boy?" _

_Sabo watched the man, "Out..." Sabo paused as he realized he was about to give his full name, "My name is Sabo."_

_Dragon nodded, not asking questions, "How do you know..." the man paused._

_"How do I know what?"_

_"You are from the Goa Kingdom?" Dragon asked._

_Sabo glared at the mention of his old home, "I was born there but that will never be my home, I was raised on Mt. Corvo with my brothers."_

_"Your brothers?" Dragon asked, sounding more interested then Sabo thought he would be. _

_Sabo nodded, "My brothers, Ace and Luffy."_

_The man raised an eyebrow at the names, "Your parents let you run wild?"_

_"Well...we're raised by a mountain bandit actually, Luffy's grandfather comes an checks on us regularly though," Sabo explained. _

_"Mountain bandits?" Dragon asked, not sounding pleased with the news._

_Sabo nodded, "They're better then Garp...he's always 'training' us to be marines..." _

_"You should never let anyone force you to do anything," Dragon spoke after a moment. _

_Sabo glanced at him in interest, the man seemed really kind to the boy. Sabo couldn't remember the last time he had been treated this nicely by an adult, besides those he had met through Ace and Luffy. Sabo looked down at the blanket after a while, getting the first look at his bandaged body, he wondered how he survived. _

_"You have some amazing luck to have survived the attack," Dragon commented as he looked Sabo over. _

_Sabo glanced at him, "Why do you say that?"_

_Dragon smiled at the boy, "Because a normal man would have died for sure."_

_"Normal?" Sabo asked confused at what the man had said._

_Dragon smirked, "I can tell you will be capable of great things, the angels of death won't take you yet."_

_"Angels of death?"_

_"It's an old story, angels sent specifically to collect the souls of the departed, you're lucky that I reached you in time," The man explained._

_Sabo just stared at the man, trying to understand this cryptic man. There were so many things he wanted to ask, so many things he needed to know. Yet he knew the man wouldn't get the answers he truly desired. As Sabo sat there he realized what the attack meant, he had no idea if anyone knew he survived or not. He didn't know if anyone even saw the attack, but he felt a deep gut wrenching feeling in his stomach, and he knew he had to return._

_"When can I go home?"_

_Dragon stared at him, "Looked to me like you were leaving."_

_"I was...but my brothers may think I died if they heard about the attack...I need to let them know at least..."_

_Dragon sat there staring at him for a few minutes, Sabo worried he'd say he couldn't return home. Sabo lowered his head, waiting for the man to speak, and the man didn't for a while. Sabo's wrists clenched the blankets as he waited patiently. _

_"The doctors said it would be a few months before you're fit to leave us, so you will have to wait till then," Dragon spoke finally. _

_Sabo paused, the idea of the few months separated from his brothers making his head swim. His brothers may think him dead, a few months and who knows what may happen. He knew he needed to return home, sure they'd have gotten his letter probably, but if someone had seen the attack. He couldn't let them think him dead._

_"Is there any way to get word to them for now?" Sabo asked._

_Dragon stared at him, "You aren't going to force the issue?"_

_Sabo shook his head, "If I can't return due to my wounds then, well there's nothing I can do but wait. I'd like to try and send a message though..."_

_Dragon stood and headed for the door, "Get some rest, I'll send a message to the island for you."_

_Before Sabo could reply the man was gone from the room, Sabo could only stare at where he had been. Sabo smiled before allowing himself to settle down for a nice deep sleep. His dreams took him back to Mt. Corvo where he was playing with his brothers in the forest like always. _

**~End Ch. 2~**

**So next chapter will detail Sabo finally setting out to sea, I wanted to give you all a bit of his background in this chapter! **

**If anyone has any questions I will answer them to the best of my abilities at this time! **

**Till next time then!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you all liked the last chapter!**

**~Setting Out~**

Sabo awoke early the next day, the sun just barely beginning to rise. He quietly dressed, so as to not wake the other members of the household. As he stood and made his way to the door he glanced back at the occupants inside the hut. He smiled softly as he looked at his little brother, curled up where Sabo had left him. The bandits and Dadan were spread all over the place around the youngest member of the family.

Sabo placed his top hat on his head before leaving the house. The only other thing he carried was a bag filled with his belongings tied to his pipe. He began walking the familiar path leading to the Goa Kingdom. Carefully treading over the worn, wooden bridge and through the dangerous forest of Mt. Corvo. Time seemed to pass quickly as he finally came to the entrance of Grey Terminal. The garbage towered as high as ever as the people inside the city continued to throw out every little thing.

The blonde made his way through the streets, the residents of the garbage dump ignoring him for the most part. His black jacket flared out behind him as the wind caught it. His cravat waving slightly over his bare chest, revealing a few scars from his accident years ago. He took long strides up to the city gates, tipping his hat to the gate guards and dropping a little bit of coin for entry.

The city was slowly coming to life as Sabo made his way through Edge Town to the Town Center. He ignored the thugs that called out to him, and as he stepped into the main streets, he continued to ignore the looks he received. He strode through the streets, eyes sweeping over the shops as he looked for a particular one.

Turning into an alleyway and walking along the buildings along the back end he finally found the shop he was looking for. He walked into the small weapon shop. The wares were simple mostly guns or standard guard equipment. Nobody saw the need for weapons in the town, except for the thugs.

The shopkeeper looked up as the door opened. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to pick up an order."

The man looked Sabo over. "What's the name?"

"It would be under the name of Dadan."

"Dadan?" The man asked, his eyes narrowing.

Sabo ignored the man's question. "It would have been placed a week ago. Is it ready?"

"Just give me a moment."

The man turned from the boy, grumbling under his breath about kids these days. Sabo stood patiently in front of the counter as the man searched his paperwork before finding the one he needed. He told Sabo to wait while he went to find it, and Sabo only nodded curtly. A few minutes later the man returned, a long box in his arms. He laid it out on the table for the boy and untied the string before opening the box.

Sabo stared at the black bo staff laying in the box, his eyes taking in the small details of the weapon. It wasn't overly decorated or anything, just a simple staff. The blonde figured if he was going out to sea, he needed a better weapon then just the old pipe. Ace had bought a dagger from this same shop when he had set out, so Sabo decided to do the same.

The shopkeeper grunted. "Well?"

"It looks fine enough, it will do."

The shopkeeper nodded. "If there is nothing else, then you can leave since it's already been paid for."

Sabo looked at the man as he took the staff out of the box. "Then I shall take my leave. Your company has turned quiet unpleasant anyway."

The blonde strapped the staff to his back and began making his way out of the store, ignoring the insults coming from the shopkeeper. Sabo looked up, noting that the sun had risen higher, but he didn't need to set out just yet. He walked through the streets, towards the wall that towered high above the Town Center. He slipped past the guards and into the depths of the High Town.

He slipped through the shadows, going towards the house he had hated all of his life. He stood in the shadows of another house, staring at the large building in front of him. It was as lavish as always, and he felt just as disgusted as he had when he was a child. He leaned against the wall, watching the building, seeing if those living within would show themselves.

His eyes narrowed as he saw a young man, a few years younger than him step out of the house. He would have recognized that bowl-cut hairstyle and that condescending look anywhere. Staring the young man over, Sabo was glad that he hadn't had to call the ignorant brat brother-Luffy was the only younger brother he had.

It wasn't long after the boy exited the house that Sabo saw his father leave as well. He watched the two begin making their way from the house and he waited till they were out of sight. Sabo then moved out of his hiding spot and to the mailbox, slipping the letter he had written inside of it. He then quickly made his way from the district and towards the dock, not wanting to attract anyone's attention.

It wasn't long till he saw the dock coming into view and as he looked over the ships docked he saw the one that Dogra had helped him procure earlier in the week. The two had come into town to find the right boat for Sabo's journey, and had purchased it. They had stocked it with supplies over the course of the week.

Sabo threw his bag onto the deck as he looked over the boat, it was similar to the one he had left with all those years ago. Sabo had checked dock notes carefully, there was not to be any visits from the Celestial Dragons or marines, so he should be safe sailing away from the port.

He didn't hesitate to untie his boat and to unfurl the sail, guiding the boat out of the harbor. He maneuvered it from the port and into the open sea, turning it towards the outer edges of the island. As it sailed he swiftly tied his flag to the post and began to bring it up, the S with cross bones waving proudly in the wind.

Looking over at the island, he saw the small cove that they had watched Ace leave from. He smiled as he saw Luffy, the bandits minus Dadan, Woop Slap, and Makino standing on the little outcrop. He heard the cheers start up as he waved at the group on the island, a large smile on his face as he looked at Luffy.

The boy was waving happily to his older brother, shouting words of encouragement. He faintly saw some of the bandits groan and hold their heads, laughing as he remembered the celebration the night before. They had celebrated his birthday two days early since he needed to depart the day before he turned seventeen. If he turned seventeen while on the island he'd be considered a noble no matter what, so he left as close to his birthday as he could, thankful the weather had behaved today.

Sabo waved to his little brother and shouted out his goodbyes, feeling a bit sad at leaving his home. He had grown close to his mismatched family and was sad to be leaving them so soon. Sabo pulled his hat off and gave a small bow to those he loved and heard laughter explode from those on the island. As he began to change the ship's course out into open water he glanced back, seeing the others begin to leave the area. Luffy sat close to the edge, planning to watch until he faded from sight, though the young raven would probably stay there till it grew dark.

Sabo stared out over the open water, excited to start his journey. He had a lot of ground to cover to catch up with Ace. They hadn't received a bounty for the raven yet, but Sabo knew he had a head start. Sabo's grin grew as he sailed out, grabbing the journal from his bag, unfolding one of the maps he had stuffed inside it to help his trip.

As he did so, he noted the small transponder snail that had been in his bag, his eyes glancing at it in thought. It had been left with Makino by a traveler a few months ago, on the anniversary of his rescue by that man. Sabo knew it was an invitation, and he was debating on what to do with it. He turned his eyes back to the horizon. He'd figure it out soon enough. For now, he needed to worry about starting his journey.

**~End ch. 3~**

**First off I would like to thank my beta: Lady Spritzy for helping me to edit this series. She has an account on her and I recommend her stories, because she's a really great writer. **

**Also I started Ace's story and it's titled: Ace of Spades, and it will detail his journey from the start to when he is captured by Blackbeard. **

**I will also start updating regularly on Saturday to Sunday mornings for my One Piece stories.**

**This chapter took a bit to write, I originally had Sabo leaving like Ace, and then it went to a quick in and out of the city, before it became a whole major trip to the city before leaving. **

**Well till next time then!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece!**

**~The Mythical Bird~**

Sabo stared out over the sea, looking at the map in his hands every once and a while to make sure he was still on course. He pulled out a telescope and spotted the island he was approaching. Sabo smiled as he continued sailing the ship, checking the skies for any storm clouds that may have formed. As he continued on his way he heard a loud cry from above him, startling him from his duties.

Looking up the blonde was shocked to see a large bird descending rapidly towards his ship. He had never seen such a bird before-it was much bigger than any he had ever seen. The bird crashed, and Sabo began freaking out as he saw water begin to leak into the boat from the bird's crater.

He carefully moved it from the hole when he noted it was injured, and began quickly patching the hole. Water still leaked profusely, and Sabo looked for the island again, seeing it closer than before. The boat would hopefully hold out till they reached the island, then he could get it fixed.

Sabo moved to the bird after checking his course was straight and checked it for wounds. He had cared for his brothers before, and hoped that his knowledge would be enough. He bandaged the bird's wing as best as he could and gave it some of his water. He wasn't going to let the thing die. It looked terribly hurt, and frightened.

Glancing up and seeing the island grow closer he spoke to the bird. "I'll get someone to look at you when we get to that island."

The bird squawked in return, before falling asleep from exhaustion and pain. Sabo hurried back to the wheel, ignoring the growing water level in the ship. He had moved most of his valuable objects from the water's grasp when he tended the bird's wounds.

It seemed like hours later when they finally pulled into the port of the town, and Sabo tied his boat to a post after pulling it onto the beach to be fixed. Looking back at the town as he shouldered his bag and frowned, noting the shape it was in. It looked like the place had been attacked recently by some unsavory characters or a storm. Sabo pulled the injured bird onto his back, struggling with its weight a bit. Luckily it wasn't any heavier than the animals he and his brothers ate for dinner.

He walked up the path and into the town, noting that no one was in the streets. Looking at the buildings told him that he was being watched though. Sabo sighed as he continued forward, looking for a sign that would help him or the bird. Sabo was beginning to lose hope when he heard slow footsteps approach him.

"Balloon?" a quiet voice asked getting the blonde's attention.

Sabo turned to see an elderly woman standing behind him, her eyes trained on the bird on his back. Sabo knelt down and laid the bird down for the woman to get a better look at, keeping his eyes trained on her. He watched as she brought a hand to her mouth and tears began falling from her eyes.

"Oh, Balloon," the woman whispered, "What did they do to you?"

"Ma'am?" Sabo asked politely.

The woman looked at him. "Thank you for bringing him here."

"He crashed into my ship, and he was injured before he did so I believe," Sabo explained.

"Injured?" the woman asked, a look of fear appearing on her face.

Sabo nodded. "Yes ma'am. What happened here? And who is it that may have hurt this bird?"

The woman sighed. "You better come to my house. I can care for Balloon there, and I will explain."

Sabo nodded, pulling the bird on his back once again before following the woman. As they walked through the streets, people began to leave their houses to check out the stranger. Sabo nodded politely to all those he passed. It wasn't long till they arrived at a house that looked like it had seen better days.

"Place him on that bedding there," the woman said, pointing to a pile of bedding on the floor.

Sabo did so before looking around the house. It was a simple small home, with a bed in the corner near the bundle of sheets on the floor. There was another door leading to another bedroom and a door leading to a bathroom. Other than that, the house consisted of the kitchen and dining area that the first bed resided in. It was a small but homely feeling place, perfect for a small family.

"I live here with my granddaughter and Balloon," the woman spoke up as she grabbed different medicines.

"Where is your granddaughter?" Sabo asked.

The woman frowned. "Gone."

Sabo looked at her, confused as he sat on the floor, watching the old woman tend to the bird's wounds. He watched the old hands shakily spread ointments and medicine on the wounds before wrapping them. When he tried to help, he was waved away by the woman and given a speech of how she could do it. She finished up soon enough, waved Sabo to the table, and sat down, a sad smile on her face.

"I thank you again for saving Balloon," she began.

Sabo shook his head. "I didn't really, he crashed like I said. I was heading for this town, it's just lucky I had been passing by at the time."

The woman nodded. "It's a good thing you hadn't arrived earlier."

"What happened?"

The woman sighed. "A pirate by the name of Spiel attacked us, looking for a treasure he desired."

"A treasure?"

The woman nodded. "He said he had heard rumors of a species of animal with magical blood having been spotted on this island."

Sabo's eyes moved to the bird. "Is he the animal?"

The woman nodded. "Balloon is a legendary bird that my granddaughter found as we were moving to this island."

"Where'd she find him?" Sabo asked.

"Alone on a small island, his family had been hunted to extinction we believe. He was just a chick when we found him," the woman explained.

"So why did the man attack the town?"

The woman sighed. "We tried to say we didn't know anything about Balloon, at the time he and my granddaughter were out at the cape."

"I'm guessing he wasn't happy about that?"

"He began attacking the town with his witchcraft," the woman began, catching Sabo's full attention.

"Witchcraft?"

"Destructive spells and what not, he didn't care if anyone was injured."

Sabo frowned. "Did he say if it was a devil fruit?"

The woman blinked. "What is that?"

"It's a fruit that grants the user powers at the price of not being able to swim. I knew someone who had one," Sabo explained.

The woman frowned. "I don't know about this devil fruit but the pirate specifically said witchcraft."

The woman continued her story, detailing the attack to Sabo. He felt sick as he heard of the wreckage caused. Eventually, the woman told him of how the villagers finally spoke of the bird and told him where to find it. The pirate had gone to the cape where her granddaughter had been, and when the girl had told her bird to fly away.

"What happened then?"

The woman looked down sadly. "Those pirates took my granddaughter from me. Forced her onto the ship when they threatened the village."

"Why?"

"Balloon is loyal to Ann, he will come back to her no matter where she is," the woman explained. "He probably found Ann and went to save her and was attacked before he fled back here."

They sat there quietly as the woman cried for her granddaughter that had been taken. Sabo briefly wondered if they had called the marines. Surely this would have grabbed their attention and they would have gone after the pirates. Sabo could only watch the woman, not sure what to do to help the situation.

"Why does this keep happening to us."

Sabo looked up. "Keep happening?"

"Our island was attacked years ago, the marines arrived and fought the pirates but most of the town was destroyed. So many lives lost," the woman said with a sob.

"I'm sorry."

"I lost my daughter and her baby that day. My little Ann had been visiting me when the pirates attacked, we fled to safety. Several people weren't so lucky."

Sabo could only watch the woman as she cried, the sun setting outside. He left the house eventually and went around town, trying to figure out what to do. As he came to the cove he had been told about, he recognized the signs of struggle that had happened. His eyes traveled out over the ocean as stars began to light the water beautifully.

He felt like he couldn't just leave this town the way it was. He didn't know how he could though. The woman's story struck him, and he felt the need to help her, he would be all for going after the pirates for taking her little girl. Sadly, he didn't know where he could find her.

Sabo stood there for a long time just staring out at the sea until a rustle nearby startled him. He turned to see the large bird weakly walking into the cove. Its eyes trained on the horizon, never moving its attention from ahead of it. Sabo knelt next to the bird as it rested near the waves, looking exhausted.

"Are you trying to find your master?"

The bird looked at Sabo and seemed to nod, chirping. Sabo watched the bird before smirking, he pulled his hat down a bit. He couldn't just let this bird go off on its own, the animal wouldn't survive. He stood looking out over the sea a smirk firmly set on his face.

"We should grab a boat then," Sabo stated.

The bird squawked in surprise causing the blonde to look at him. "Well you can't fly in your state, besides I don't think you could carry me."

Sabo knelt down to carry the bird again and it stared at him in what could only be surprise. "I want to help you save the girl."

The bird watched him as if not believing him. "Really I do, I couldn't leave a defenseless girl with a bunch of pirates. It'd go against everything I am."

The bird squawked happily and allowed Sabo to take him to the boat to ready their departure. Sabo grinned proudly as he headed to the docks to find a suitable boat to take for the trip. They had to hurry, every second they wasted the further the girl got from them. Sabo pushed the fishing boat out into the sea, the bird at the front staring into the direction they needed to go. Sabo only hoped that they would be enough for the rescue mission.

**~End ch. 4~**

**Sabo's chapter pretty much came naturally, after I read and re-read the plot of Romance Dawn V. 2. Romance Dawn V. 2 was originally Luffy's story so it changed to fit this, one thing that is being left out of this considering it's a pre-story for One Piece, is the fact that Garp was introduced in Romance Dawn V. 2. Never realized in Romance Dawn V. 2 that Garp was actually a pirate! Oh the changes that were made in the series. **

**Again thanks to my best beta-reader, okay my only beta-reader but still, Lady Spritzy, for putting up with me and my stories when she is very busy herself. She also deals with me on a weekly basis outside of writing, so she must have the patience or the attitude of a saint. I thank her also for being the reason I'm into One Piece in the first place, it's all her fault!**

**Some things that changed in this chapter was the fact that I originally called Balloon a Roc because that's what I found him referred to as, but due to the fact that I'm not sure if he is or not I changed it to just a legendary bird. **

**Well till next time!**


End file.
